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Trees and Woodland Strategy

Protecting and enhancing the trees and woodlands of the National Park is of global importance for nature. Not only can our trees help us to expand habitat networks and improve conservation efforts at a local level, they can also help us to mitigate more widely against climate change and contribute to a thriving rural economy.

Our Trees and Woodland Strategy sets out our vision for how trees and woodlands in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park are to be protected and enhanced over the next 20 years. The strategy will guide woodland enhancement and creation within the National Park to help meet important local and national targets that will deliver wider social and economic benefits, such as increasing the number of forestry sector jobs and encouraging community management or ownership of woodland.

There are seven strategic objectives:

Increasing woodland cover to help tackle biodiversity loss and the global climate emergency.
Improving woodland condition and diversifying woodland management.
Protecting and enhancing the landscape.
Maintaining and enhancing economic sustainability through forestry-related skills and business development.
Promoting cooperative woodland management and creation as part of an integrated land management approach.
Improving community empowerment and resilience through active engagement in woodland management.
Encouraging and promoting public access to woodlands for recreation and improving people’s quality of life.

The strategy is a key document to be used by landowners, land managers, residents and forestry professionals when formulating forestry proposals in the National Park.